Bathroom accessories can go along way to helping avoid falls - the leading cause of unintentional home injuries.

What's wrong with this picture?

Keep reading to find out!

Falls account for nearly 6,000 deaths each year and 5.1 million injuries. It takes a split second, a misjudged step, a few drops of water on the floor, or many other combination's to set you or your loved one up for this potentially life altering event.

These facts should alert everyone to considering evaluating the need for safety equipment in your bathrooms.

The bathroom is full of potential life threatening safety issues. Consider the hard surfaces (toilet, bathtub, counter, towel racks) that can deliver swift blows on the way down from a fall. Or, the loose throw rugs that make that room so cozy...and so deadly when feet get tangled in them.

The bathroom is the number place to store medications and cleaning supplies.

It is usually full of water (in appropriate and inappropriate places) and electricity. A deadly combination when mixed.

Bathroom accessories are becoming more and more common place for safety even before they become necessary! With a little pre-planning, you can avoid many bathroom mishaps.

It becomes evident why bathrooms can literally mean life and death to children and the elderly and compromise safety.

many falls can be prevented.

Let's find out how...

Bathroom safety is part of home safety. The big picture can help you chose the best obvious bathroom accessories and the not so obvious.

What type of safety equipment can be difficult to assess depending on you condition or that of your loved one. With so many bathroom safety equipment options out there, it can be confusing and overwhelming.

Keep reading to find the necessary information that can better help you in making this high risk room safer while helping you make better purchasing decisions that fills it's purpose - bathroom safety!

fix it tips for you to age in a safe place.

• Install regular grab bars in place of towel racks - now they can serve dual purpose - a towel rack AND a grab bar.
• Use a plastic patio chair in place of an expensive shower seat. These have slotted bottoms, arms and a back rest. Be sure your patient does not outweigh the chair. Use two no slip bath mats under the chair to ensure that all four legs are on it.
• Use suction cup grab bar on your marble or non-porous sink top for more pull leverage. Be sure it is locked and test it before using!
• Take your dangerous glass showers doors off and replace with a wide variety of shower curtains.
• Put a piece of duct tape along the carpet/tile transition at the entry way of your bathroom. This makes a walker with 5 inch wheels transition smoother and lessens the likelihood of those back legs catching on the carpet on the way out (or in).
• Replace throw rugs with non slip, low shag bath rugs.
Cushion sharp edges or corners with foam (home made or store bought) for somewhat padded falls. Get a raised toilet seat or bedside commode to raise the toilet for easier entry and exit. Replace the washcloth holder in the shower for the horizontal placement of a suction cup grab bar.

Click below to see what works, what doesn't, what's worth your time and what's not so hot.

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